Adress: Temsa 1 Evleri No:25 Çayyolu Ankara-Turkey EDITOR-IN CHIEF: AYLIN SAGTUR MUTLU

Tel & Fax: (90) 312-235 30 21 E-Mail: amutlu@superonline.com PUBLISHER: NECDET ONUR

Liasion Office: Bestekar Sokak 62/12 Kavaklidere-Ankara-Turkey Year 17 EDITOR: BÜLENT KARABONCUK

Tel: (90) 312-427 74 72 Fax: (90) 312-426 85 83

January 7, 1999 Thursday

1. HEADLINES

------------------

ECEVIT READY FOR THE GOVERNMENT

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ecevit's program is ready: Elections and three pieces of legislation. ANAP (Motherland Party) leader Mesut Yilmaz said they can not be blamed for the failed efforts of Erez. "The blame lies in CHP for Erez's failed efforts. CHP turned it into bargaining" said Yilmaz. "Baykal is the one who gets malaria upon hearing the name of Ecevit. We have prevented an assassination attempt against democracy" said DYP (True Path Party) leader Tansu Çiller criticizing Deniz Baykal.
"I give back the appointment as a proud person, not like one mistreated. A government is being formed in accordance with my aims" said Yalim Erez who returned the duty to President Süleyman Demirel. President Demirel proposed that , besides deputies of DSP (Democratic Left Party), deputies from DYP and ANAP should be included into the cabinet. Ecevit favored the proposal.

(Milliyet 1, 7)
***

43 DAYS WASTED

---------------------------

Yalim Erez returned the duty to President Sleyman Demirel and the political situation returned to day when Yilmaz government was dissolved and 43 days were wasted. 43 days ago the Yilmaz government was dissolved by the Türkbank (irregularity) censor motion and President Demirel, after the first round of meeting with the leaders had appointed DSP leader Ecevit to establish the 56^th government. However Ecevit had to return the duty because DYP and CHP gave no support to his government model. After him independent deputy Yalim Erez tried to establish the government but he failed because ANAP and DSP had withdrew their support which they had promised before. After 43 days it seems like Ecevit will be re-appointed.

(Hürriyet 1, 19)

***

EYES ON CANKAYA

----------------------------------------------

Yalim Erez who said "I am happy of being the person who failed to shape a government but also having it shaped," Returned his duty to form the government, to President Demirel on Wednesday. Meanwhile PM Mesut Yilmaz refused the demand of Erez from stepping down from his present post as Industry Minister. Bulent Ecevit who may now form a minority government, with the initiative of DYP leader tansu Ciller said, "My rejection of that proposal could not be expected. It was Deniz Baykal (CHP leader) who brought the efforts of Yalim Erez to an impasse."

After Erez departed, President Demirel called Pm Yilmaz to the Kiosk and discussed the new option with him. Yilmaz later on said that the President had told him "I am making an evaluation, in line with the public statements and will make an appointment, under the light of these."

While waiting for the duty, Democratic Left Party prepared a government program draft.

After returning his duty, Erez wished luck to Ecevit and promised support.

COVERT COALITION

--------------------------------------------------

President Suleyman Demirel is expected to charge Bulent Ecevit with forming the government, today. However, among the plans Ecevit has in his mind, is, establishhing a "minority government, appearing to be a coalition", by taking ministers from Motherland and True Path Parties.

The Accomplishment of Erez

------------------------------------------

Erez who had tried to bring together (two centre-left parties) CHP and DSP, however accomplished something equally difficult; he borught DYP and ANAP together and returned his duty.

The Ciller Element

-----------------------------------

The cabinet list of Ecevit is reportedly ready by now and he is reportedly planning a "soft coalition". Ecevit will make a gesture to DYP and ANAP two ministerial seats each "not on behalf of the party but individually."

VIRTUE IS ASTONISHED

-----------------------------------------

Cumhuriyet’s columnist Hikmet Cetinkaya says that Virtue Party is astonished of the recent development. He quotes a FP deputy as saying "How Bulent Ecevit regards us, is clear. The True Path Party played a trick on us, and left us. Some of our friends say that "Ciller gave a lesson to President Demirel." However I believe there is a new trick being staged. The initiative does not belong to Ciller, but to President demirel. Ciller stabbed us from our back!"

(Cumhuriyet,1,5,19; Radikal)

***

THIS IS TASANLAR’S SIN

-----------------------------------------------------

Dilek Gurgen lost her leg because of the atrocities of Orhan Tasanlar, the Governor of Bursa. Dilek was crushed by a truck , after she was denied entry to her school because she wore head scarf. After the accident, Dilek said "Is not opening a head scarf by force, equal to force a person to cover her head? My friends should resist for their rights, till the end."

Gurgen is under medical treatment at the Medical Faculty of Bursa University.

(Akit,1,12)

***

-----------------------------

TOPAL USED HIS DAUGTHER TAX PAYMENTS

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Omer Lutfu Topal , the slain casino king, evaded 600 trillion TL in tax payment through firms he set up under the names of his son and daughter, it has been revealed. The method used by Topal was discovered after the interrogation of 450 persons among which are the presidents of 4 major sports clubs, all of whom his clients.

Investigating every single detail of his accounts for the last 5 years, a team of 8 experts from the Finance Ministry determined that clients playing at the casinos with cash money were never given any documents. In gambling with credits, the money was siphoned into the firms set up under the names of Murat and Elif Topal.

(Milliyet 7)

***

YILMAZ: BAYKAL BROKE HIS PROMISE

-----------------------------------------------------------

Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said they will be happy if DSP leader Ecevit manages to establish the new government. Yilmaz said Erez failed in his efforts because CHP leader Deniz Baykal did not keep his promises. "Baykal insisted on his conditions. A government would have been established if Baykal was not so insistent” said Yilmaz. The Prime Minister said they made no U turn. “We supported all the models proposed. Others changed their attitudes. This is a model which we had accepted before” added Yilmaz. He also claimed Turkey will be pushed to a chaos if the election is not held on 18^th April.

(Hürriyet 18)

***

CANDIDATE WARS IN ANKARA

------------------------------------------------

The fight for the local elections started while the government crisis continues in Ankara. CHP Çankaya Mayor Dogan Tasdelen had resigned from his party and joined to DSP. DSP officials announced that Tasdelen will be the candidate of DSP from Ankara. Yesterday CHP deputy (And former Ankara Mayor) Murat Karayalçin announced that Ankara people and the party supporters are making pressure on him to be the candidate in the local election after Tasdelen resigned from CHP. He said there was not an official proposal yet but people are making pressure on him to be the candidate. Tasdelen and Karayaalçin had worked for CHP but they will be two opponents if Karayalçin becomes the candidate of CHP.

(Milliyet 11)

***

COMMENTARY BILAL CETIN / RADIKAL

THE PROGRAM OF ECEVIT’S GOVERNMENT IS NEARLY READY

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"After the surprise attack of Tansu Çiller, the leader of DYP (True Path Party), the efforts to form the new government, have been accelerated.

(...) If the given words and the deputy numbers (of the supporter parties –nta) are considered, there is no hindrance left in front of the Ecevit’s minority government. (...)

Ecevit, waiting to be charged once more, makes from the other side the necessary preparations for the future cabinet and the program of the new government, together with his staff.

Ecevit, whom we talked to yesterday at noon, said that if he was charged he would form the government at once. He said, he would not prepare a detailed program: ‘I think it will be three or four page. After that moment, it is very difficult to legislate for reforms. We will not try to do the works of forty years in 30-40 days.’

"It is being understood that, he will do the necessary regulations with the decrees and the regulations and will concentrate his efforts on the economy and the foreign affairs.

"Ecevit also said he would be engaged on the internal imbalances and the problems, originating from the international crisis. The heavy domestic debt installments, which will be paid in the first quarter of the year, and the high interest rates make him anxious. Ecevit, together with the Minister of Finance Zekeriya Temizel (who is supposed to keep his chair in the new government –nta) started the preparations for the necessary economical measures. (...)

"Shortly, the program of the Ecevit’s government and the cabinet list is nearly ready."

(January 6, p.6)

***

LABOR

--------------

DISK TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO ILO

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK) concluded its report on "Violation of Trade Union Rights in Turkey." The report has been prepared with the support of ETUC and EU.

DISK will file a complaint to the ILO against the Turkish government, saying that , in spite of having signed the conventions, Turkey has not obeyed the ILO standards.

The report said that the legislation prevailing since the September 12 era , does not guarantee the exercising of the right to organize, on the contrary, this has been the biggest weapon of ill-intentioned employers,

The legal obstacles were compiled under six categories in the study report. These namely were cited as, "the threshold demanded to establish a trade union at the working branch; the threshold demanded to organize at the work-lace level; the demand for notary approval; the authorization procedure; job guarantee; lack of unemployment insurance; obstacles and prohibitions on the right to strike; the lack of the right to collective bargaining of the public employees aro trade union right violations, in the practices."

The study which covered 174 work places showed that the most frequent violation (64.9%) was to have the employees working overtime.

(Cumhuriyet,3)

***

POSITIVE SIGNAL TO KURDISH TV

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Foreign Ministry tends not to prevent the Kurdish TV channel which journalist Ilnur Cevik and KDP is planning to establish, as long as "It does not harm Turkey."

The Foreign Ministry which is waging a war against MED-TV, is more positive to a private Kurdish TV channel.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan said that the initiative of Ilnur Cevik, the owner of Turkish Daily News and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to establish KTV, will not be prevented.

(Radikal,5)

***

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

-------------------------------

NEW RUSSIAN MISSILES TO GREEK CYPRIOTS

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Greek Cypriots started negotiations with Russia to purchase missiles similar to S-300 missiles which they had decided not to deploy in Cyprus because of the international pressures. Sevodnya daily reported that Greek Cypriots will buy Tor-M1 missiles which have shorter range than the S-300 missiles. Russia had only sold these missiles to China. It was reported that Tor-M1 missiles has 12 km range and capable of detecting 48 different targets in a 27 km range.

(Milliyet 17)

***

ANKARA THINKS THAT ITALY IS INCOHERENT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ankara which expects that Italy will not be able to resist the ever-increasing reactions, is pursuing a wait-and-see policy towards the issue of Apo. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that "We believe that the Italian government will be compelled to do the right thing because of the reactions rising from the parliament and Italian people."

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan said that Italy has realized the damages of bargaining with a terorrist and that Turkey awaited the consequences of the developments.

Meanwhile, asked whether he found the recent statements of Italian PM D’Alema inconsistent, PM Mesut Yilmaz said "The attitude of the (Italian) government is a model of inconsistency!"

(Cumhuriyet1,19)

***

BUSH DUE IN TURKEY

----------------------------------------

Former US President George Bush announced that he will visit Turkey. Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington, Baki Ilkin told reporters that he had met with Bush during a visit to Texas and that Bush had told him he loved Turkey and will visit it soon.

(Cumhuriyet,10)

***

STRANGE ALLIANCE AGAINST S-300s

-------------------------------------------------------------

Greek Cypriot Socialist Party EDEK and Democratic Party, decided to unite their powers against Klerides, who had cancelled the decision to deploy Russian-made S-300s in Southern Cyprus. DIKO Chairman Spiros Kyprianou and EDEK Chairman Vassos Lissarides announced that they will fight together to topple the Klerides government.

(Cumhuriyet,10)

***

RESEARCHER SULLIVAN: BAKU-CEYHAN ROUTE,

BENEFITS THE WEST

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A commentary in Washington Post newspaper said that Turkey and Ceyhan had a key importance in diversifying the oil routers in a safe manner, for the Caspian region’s oil-producing countries.

Paige Sullivan, a researcher of a think-tank said that the issue of delivering the Caspian oil to the West has been a controversy between the American Administration and oil companies.

Sullivan said that the Clinton Administration advocated the delivery of the Azeri oil from Batku to Ceyhan with geopolitical considerations and was trying to persuade the companies -which claimed that the costs involved in this route are dear- concerned.

Sullivan said that in case the routes pass through Russia, the region’s countries will remain in a weak position towards this country.

(Cumhuriyet,10)

***

TURCO-SWISS RELATIONS AT IMPASSE

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Relations between Turkey and Switzerland are strained as the Swiss authorities replaced the Turkish TRT-Int channel by the MED-TV, the channel of PKK.

The Bern Embassy of Turkey, said that initiatives taken before the federal authorities have not yielded any solution yet and "We are awaiting an answer at the shortest time. If the Turkish Foreign Ministry deems that the matter has been delayed for too long, then it will instruct us, and we obey that instruction."

The MED-TV is meanwhile carrying out its broadcast in the Basel Canton, from the frequency used by state-run TRT-INT channel. Turkish citizens living in Basel are on a signature campaign, against the MED-TV broadcast.

Milliyet: LAST WARNING TO SWITZERLAND

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking at his weekly press meeting, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Necati Utkan said that Swiss Charge D’affairs Marcus Krummer has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry and was explained the "Importance Turkey attached on the ending the broadcast of MED-TV immediately." Utkan added that this issue should be solved, before reaching dimensions that will damage Turco-Swiss relations further.

(Cumhuriyet,11;Miliyet,12)

***

THE CONTROVERSY THAT DIVIDES GERMANY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Germany has been stirred because of the campaign launched by the opposition parties against the government’s plans to grant double citizenship to immigrants in this legislative term.

Opposition parties CDU and CSU launched an extensive debate in public, against the Social Democrat Party and Union-90 Greens Protocol and started a signature campaign against this move. The politicians of CDU and CSU also decided to petition to court, against the initiative.

(Milliyet,12)

***

TURBAN CONTROVERSY IN FRANCE

--------------------------------------------------------

Teachers of a High School in France will stage a strike tomorrow to protest a Turkish student entering the classes with a turban. The majority of the 70 teachers at the Jean Monet high school decided to stage to boycott classes tomorrow to protest Esmanur, 12, who enrolled to this school a while ago.

(Milliyet,19)

***

------------------

THREE REFORMS UNTIL THE ELECTION

------------------------------------------------------------

DSP (Democratic Left Party) started working on the new reforms before the minority government is established. DSP is planning to pass three bills on three important issues . One of them is the new bill which will regulate the social security system. DSP, with the new bill will increase the retirement age. Men will retire at the age of 60 and women at 57.

The second important bill is on trade unions. Civil servants are not allowed to establish syndicates or be a member of a trade union. With the new bill right to establish trade unions will be given to the civil servants but the right to go on strike will be excluded.

The last bill is on the banking system. The new bill will regulate the Turkish Banking system. These will be the major goals of the DSP minority government.

(Milliyet 7)

***

CENTRAL BANK FOREIGN CURRENCY RATES

------------------------------------------------------------------------

***

SECTION TWO

NEWS ON THE AIR January 6, 1998

Here are the highlights of the prime-time news of Atv on Wednesday evening;

• FP (Virtue Party) and CHP (Republican People’s Party) are against a DSP minority government. CHP leader Deniz Baykal said this was an dirty alliance. FP leader Recai Kutan said this model is a strange government model. "President must apply the 166^th article of the constitution" said Kutan.

• Tansu Çiller said they rescued the democracy by making the new proposal. She said DYP had changed its attitude because the conditions are changed.

* Today temperatures will be as follows: